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Some of you might remember a number of years ago I inherited a Colt 1911 made in 1918. Going thru grandpas books and notes last weekend, I found out he believed it had a cracked frame. I for the life of me, cannot find a crack anywhere, and have pushed probably close to 1k rounds through it since taking possession of it without issue. It is marked US Property, perhaps he was just paranoid? If a 1911 frame was to crack, where are the "normal" places?
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sigpicLord, make my hand fast and accurate.
Let my aim be true and my hand faster
than those who would seek to destroy me.
Grant me victory over my foes and those who wish to do harm to me and mine.
Let not my last thought be 'If I only had my gun."
And Lord, if today is truly the day you call me home, let me die in an empty pile of brass.
NRA Member -
Forward of the slide stop hole and rails would be most likely spots I think.WTS all BNIB: Colt S70 Repro, HK45c, Gen4 G19 -
I kinda figured the slide rails would be the main place, damn I wish he was still around so I could hit him up with a WTF??!?sigpicLord, make my hand fast and accurate.
Let my aim be true and my hand faster
than those who would seek to destroy me.
Grant me victory over my foes and those who wish to do harm to me and mine.
Let not my last thought be 'If I only had my gun."
And Lord, if today is truly the day you call me home, let me die in an empty pile of brass.
NRA MemberComment
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If it's a 1911 made in 1918, I would put it to pasture, especially if it hasn't been molested. Those early frames and slides were not through hardened. Keep it as a functioning memento of your grandfather.
Buy a modern Colt 1911A1 and shoot to your heart's content.Luck favors the prepared.
The original battle plan did not survive initial contact with the enemy.
"The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life." -Theodore RooseveltComment
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He molested the hell out of it in the 60's. Aftermarket sights, beavertail, trigger, hammer, all that. It also has a rearsenal Saginaw slide which I understand is on the rare side, that he milled up to fit his new sights. The gun as a whole is uber worn, which just makes me love it that much more.sigpicLord, make my hand fast and accurate.
Let my aim be true and my hand faster
than those who would seek to destroy me.
Grant me victory over my foes and those who wish to do harm to me and mine.
Let not my last thought be 'If I only had my gun."
And Lord, if today is truly the day you call me home, let me die in an empty pile of brass.
NRA MemberComment
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Find a metal shop with an xray machine. Ski resorts use xray to check the chair lifts for cracks all the time.
If you know a doctor or dentist, slip him/her a $20 and see if they'll do it.Comment
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Although not too common, cracking is more prevalent on pre 1946 1911's that weren't heat treated as well or fully as modern 1911's.
Heres where to look:
The front area circled on the frame where the dustcover meets the vertical impact surface can be either stop drilled or welded/refinished. The rear circled area consisting of the area between the frame rail and slide stop lug hole can be cut/milled away with no ill consequences and is often done from the factory on late model 1911's. Cracks in the slide though usually means the slide needs to be replaced afaik.Last edited by redcliff; 03-28-2013, 1:24 AM."You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
"What we get away with isn't usually the same as what's good for us"
"An extended slide stop is the second most useless part you can put on a 1911"
"While Ruger DA revolvers may be built like a tank, they have the aesthetics of one also,
although I suppose there are a few tanks which I owe an apology to for that remark"Comment
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Pics of the gun?
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Nice info on this, redcliff! Thanks!Comment
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There is a dye you can use to find small cracks in metal. Might want to check that out. Lot of us motor heads use it to find cracks on engine/car parts.Comment
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Maybe a scratch that looked like a crack....Comment
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Here's a couple shots. I changed the grips out because the Pachmayr grips he had on it had dried out.
I'm 99.9% certain that the little mark above the slide stop hole is a small scratch. If you pull the slide stop out and watch its possible path of rotation, there's a contact point right there where that mark is. I've used my Surefire and a magnifying glass, and it doesn't look like a crack to me.
The other side.
sigpicLord, make my hand fast and accurate.
Let my aim be true and my hand faster
than those who would seek to destroy me.
Grant me victory over my foes and those who wish to do harm to me and mine.
Let not my last thought be 'If I only had my gun."
And Lord, if today is truly the day you call me home, let me die in an empty pile of brass.
NRA MemberComment
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That is an absolutely awesome looking 1911.WTB: SWISS & German police trade in pistols
WTB: German made & proofed SIG P226R & P228R
WTB: Factory cutaway pistols & rifles
WTB: LAPD Ithaca M37 / CHP S&W / Other PD trade ins....Comment
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We used dye check in aircraft work. Works real well.
Method c is how to use the aerosol can type.
or source out a local automotive machine shop, they all pretty much can do magnetic partical crack checks.
good luck!!Comment
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Oh, and the 1911 looks fantastic! don't ever change a thing!! clean it, preserve it, never refinish it......yada, yada, yada. You know it already.Comment
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